Life in Skyrim as an NPC: Volume 2
by Spartanss300
Summary: Another compilation of short stories about Skyrim NPCs as they deal with life in their world.
1. Eorlund Gray-Mane

My name is Eorlund Grey-Mane. I man the Skyforge. Those are likely the only two facts you are likely to get out of me without at least four bottles of Honningbrew Mead.

I've devoted my life to this forge: I tend its coals, I shape blades with its heat. It's an honour. Every morning as the sun rises I make my way up from the family home, past Jorrvaskr to the Skyforge, where I stay until the sun sets again. Sometimes I stay out to watch the Aurora.

I will not spin falsehoods of my skill, nor will I play the part of the modest man. My steel is sharper than any other smith I have met, and will probably ever likely meet in my remaining years. At least, that's what I thought.

Everything changed when a stranger arrived in Whiterun. He was clad in leather armour, very much like myself, and his pale hair framed his Nordic blue eyes: a true son of Skyrim, I saw. Too many Redguards and the like in the past few days. I watched the stranger as I pulled a piece of steel from the coals and set it on the anvil. He turned first and headed straight for Belethor's general goods- like so many other wanderers have. (That crafty Breton had been trying to buy my steel for the past two Summers, and refuses to hear a no. He'd sell his sister if he had one- or so I'm told.)

At any rate- the stranger emerged much later, a visible spring in his step. This man was unlike any I'd ever met before though. He looked plain enough, yet he had a sort of magnetism to him: _every_ citizen of Whiterun seemed insistent to speak to him- every yellow-clad guard he passed would stop and turn to him, spouting some nonsense:

_Watch the skies, traveler._

_I'd be a lot happier with a belly full of mead._

_Staying safe, I hope?_

_I used to be an adventurer like you... then-_

I rolled my eyes: Bjorne was always bragging about his knee-wound.

The stranger stopped to look around before walking purposefully over to Warmaiden's. He spoke with Adrianne, and I listened intently.

"Do you need any help around the forge?"

His voice was deep and monotonous, I noted, before I chuckled at Adrianne's reaction. She was a little taken aback, but prompted the traveler to make an iron dagger. For a first task, it sounded ambitious; I made my first dagger three moons after learning first how to smith a nail. She reached under the workbench and hefted an entire ingot into the man's arms, as well as a small bundle of leather. I could not see the traveler when he disappeared behind the forge, but the way he approached it told me he was not used to it. He hefted the hammer to close to the head, probably for fear of hitting his thumbs, and he seemed unaware of just how hot a forge could get.

I heard a few fumbled _clangs_ as the hammer was brought down, before he handed it to her. My eyes widened.

_It was almost perfect!_

The edge was perhaps quite dull, but that was nothing even an amateur couldn't fix. Adrianne looked pleased, and then told the stranger to sharpen it.

I watched more intently as the traveler sat at the grindstone and began to work the wheel. There was a flash of sparks and he was done. To my surprise, Adrianne complimented him on the keen edge he'd given the blade. She suggested that the man made a hide helm, and handed him the necessary pieces of leather, but he instead turned and caught my eye.

_What in Oblivion..?_

The stranger made a beeline straight for me as Adrianne prattled on about how she was not the best blacksmith in Whiterun. The apprentice smith climbed the stairs to the Skyforge without saying anything and instantly looked at me. I was still shaping the blade at the anvil, but I was overtaken by the immediate urge to get off. Confused, I stood up as this trespasser commandeered my hammer.

"Don't you know who I am, boy?" I began, but my words fell short as before my eyes, the stranger pieced together _yet another_ iron dagger. I went to say something else, when he forged another.

And another.

And another.

_By Ysmir..._

I watched in a mixture of awe, envy, and surprise as this intruder churned out iron daggers faster than I could blink. He didn't move, save for his hands as they hammered iron, twisted leather, honed edges. This was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Shor's breath. I felt faint. I wanted to run, yet his movements were mesmeric. How was it that this man, who not ten minutes ago was unable to shape a blade, was now assembling fine blades as easily as I breathed? _Magic_ was my immediate thought, for no man matched my skill with a hammer. But my skepticism faded and was replaced by irrational denial as a small mountain of iron daggers had coalesced at his feet.

*_The following Middas..._

He has been standing at the anvil for three sunsets now. The skyforge was overflowing with daggers, falling from the bluff and collecting at the stone wall of Jorrvaskr. I thought it would never end.

It did, though.

The stranger stepped away from the anvil and proceeded to pick up every knife, before creeping slowly up to me.

"What have you got for sale?"

His voice took me by surprise. This man hadn't eaten or slept for three days, yet his composure was admirable.

"Blades... Helmets... Pretty much anything to suit your needs..." I said nervously, sweat collecting in my palms.

And by the Nine, the Milk-drinker sold every knife he made to me. Individually.


	2. Whiterun Guard

Been a guard in Whiterun for most of my adult life. Love the work, protecting the people, and, yeah, the action too. It takes a certain type of person to be able to deal with the scum we encounter and craziness we see. At least that's what they told me it would be like. Truth to be told, the majority of my job is walking around waiting for something more interesting than a drunken brawl to take place. My wife doesn't mind the fact that it's mostly safe work. Makes her feel like like we have control over how long I'll around for our 3 kids. So when the Stormcloaks rose up against the true rulers of Skyrim I didn't leave to join the fight. I stayed here while the Jarl twiddled his indecisive thumbs, waiting for a real leader to tell him what to do.

And that's how it stayed, until that Khajiit showed up. One look at his silky black fur, piercings, and scarred face was enough for me to know he was trouble. Word soon came out that he was dragonborne, and that he's become Thane. It didn't matter. Years of upholding the law in Whiterun had given me a sixth sense about people and creatures. He wasn't to be trusted. Months go by with him in and out of the city. He's draped in new elaborate armor every time I see him. He's a companion, then leader of the companions. He becomes Thane of other parts of Skyrim. He almost single handledly ended the civil war. But he's also an asshole. Goes about shouting for no reason, scaring good decent folk. Stands about for hours at a time. Crouches down and almost vanishes before your eyes only to pop up behind you without warning. And that's what we started getting reports about. Seems around the same time he'd sneak up on people, their belongings would go missing. No one ever saw him take anything, but there was little doubt it was him. Nothing we could, as he was practically untouchable and we had no hard evidence. Well, one day he suddenly stands up before my eyes as if from nowhere. Startles me in front of a bunch of people and other guards. Dick move since the Hold's Guards are notorious for never letting embarrassing moments be forgotten. He looks me in the eyes and drops a shield. A guards shield. Where the fuck did he get that? Then a guard's sword. Then a guard's boots, and armor, and gloves, and helmet. Where did he get all of this shit? I reach for my sword. I'm taking this asshole in. My hands grabs air. I look down, and I realize all of the shit he dropped is mine. I'm fucking naked, except my under cloth, and weaponless in the middle of town. Even my goddamn helmet it gone! Why would he do this. I vaguely recall asking him if he fetched beer for the other companions, but that was long ago. Surely that isn't why! I could lose my job for this shit. I don't know what to say or do. The prick just keeps staring. I can feel my cheeks glowing bright red. I say, "Keep your hands to yourself, sneak thief!" and walk away like leaving my shit there. Fucking hate this guy.

Well, I guess that pissed him off because I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my arm. I let out a shrill cry. I look down and see a fucking elven arrow sticking out! He had a quiver of elven arrows on his goddamn back! I turn around so mad I'm seeing red to look where he was just standing. He had fucking vanished. A couple other guards and myself walk over to where he was. Nothing there. I'm naked, unarmed, and have an arrow in my arm. My commanding officer, who had also run over, gives me an absolutely enraged look, like this is my fault. I have no evidence. There's no culprit. I let my shit get stolen. He looks at my gear and back at me. Raises his eyebrow as if to ask what the fuck happened. I have no excuse, my boss never even saw the guy here, and I screamed like a girl when I got shot loud enough that he came running over. Unable to form a coherent thought I mutter, "Must have been my imagination..." like a fucking halfwit, as an answer to his questioning and furious stare. His shakes his head in obvious disgust. I begin the long walk home, bewildered as to what else I could have done, so I can explain to my wife why we have to move to Solitude. I really fucking hate that guy.

I hope he outlives his children and ends up as dragon shit.


	3. Lucia (adoptable daughter)

My Dad's pretty weird.

My name is Lucia. I used to live on the streets in Whiterun begging for money just to stay alive. Nobody would take me in. Nobody cared. The only person who was nice to me was another beggar named Brenuin. That's how I spent my days until one day one of the people I was begging from offered to adopt me. He was wearing really cool armour he called "ebony" and he walked right up to me and told me I could live with him. I was so happy I almost couldn't believe it. When we got to the house I was a bit scared of it because it was right beside a swamp but I was too happy about finally having a family to care. When I got inside I was greeted by my new mother Mjoll. She hugged me right away and I could just tell it was meant to be. I also met Papa's steward Aela the Huntress and his bard Sonir. Sonir also sadly mentioned a housecarl that used to live there but was killed fighting with Papa.

When it was late I was sent to bed so Papa and Mommy could go and get what Papa called his "resting bonus" whatever that means.

The next morning Papa was gone again and when he came back I had a sister! I was so happy I almost cried. Then he made yet another trip and I got a dog he called Meeko! I had to pinch myself constantly just to check to see if I was dreaming.

It wasn't until a week later that I began to wonder if something was up with Papa.

First of all there's an entire room of the house we're not supposed to go into. It's Papa's armoury and Papa always keeps the doors shut. So naturally Sophie and I dared each other to go in there to take a look. What we found inside was… it's hard to describe. There were weapons and armour everywhere, and even as a little girl I could tell that they were valuable. Looking at them was like looking at a dragon's horde. There were bows that glowed with magic, swords and axes that were bigger than me, staffs that I didn't even want to touch and armour that looked beyond ancient. I guess I understand why Papa doesn't want us playing in there but it's so beautiful. I just can't help but wonder where he got it all.

The second thing that's weird about my Papa is that he builds things really fast. I mean _really_ fast. One night I went to sleep and when I woke up we had a cellar. It was filled with shrines, a forge, and a mannequin with yet another set of valuable armour on it.

The absolute weirdest thing though is that he sometimes leaves for a week and then comes back home with entirely new skills. New magic, new ways of fighting, that sort of thing. Once he left for a while and after he came back I saw him walking around the house crouched down for some reason. Ten minutes later Mommy, Aela, and Sonir where walking around in their underwear. They still haven't put clothes back on for some reason even though it's really cold.

He does other weird stuff too like standing completely still for hours, change armour in seconds, and even jumping really high for no reason while he walks. I just don't understand it.

I love him anyways though. Because he let me into his family. And because he loves me.


End file.
